Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet formally allowed political stalwart and former Premier Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for his treatment. Since then he has been under treatment in London. No body knows how long will he remain under treatment in UK. In UK keen attention is paid on human health while in Pakistan health and life are held least important. Doctors in UK take extra care of treatment of the patients while in Pakistan the doctors don't bother. The British doctors have not permitted Nawaz Sharif to travel but he is being repeatedly called by Imran Khan government. Remember the matter of former dictator General Pervaiz Musharraf who showed his dissatisfaction on the standards of available treatment in the best of hospitals of Armed Forces of Pakistan whom he has always been grading the best. Musharraff requested the then government for his treatment abroad. Under treatment cover he was given way to travel and then government felt a relief of sigh. Same is the case of sick Nawaz Sharif.
In jail the only nerves breaking phenomenal politician of the country Nawaz Sharif remained more threatening and frightening to Imran Khan. Resultantly not knowing the bitter realities of Pakistani politics confused and inexperienced Imran Khan and his cabinet decided to get rid of Nawaz Sharif.
Actually for comfortable rule in fact Imran Khan himself desires the stalwart stay away from Pakistan. Now in a dramatic way Imran khan asks Nawaz Sharif's to return leaving his treatment incomplete.
The British government may not look into Imran Khan's extradition request. At the same time, Ms Patel has stressed that the UK works subject to international law and can't go against the established legal principles
Imran Khan asks UK government for extradition of Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar. Imran doesn't know that the deportation is the process of arresting and expelling a foreign national for violating any country’s immigration laws. In this process a person is usually but not always deported back to the country of origin on demand. Extradition on the other hand is a procedure of handing over an individual, without regard to citizenship, to another country seeking to prosecute that individual for crimes under that country’s laws. The British government may not look into Imran Khan's extradition request. At the same time, Ms Patel has stressed that the UK works subject to international law and can't go against the established legal principles. Imran Khan who is not national and international law literate has asked British government for the deportation of Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar but a formal extradition request has not been filed. The UK will not consider deportion of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on the deportation request made by Imran Khan led PTI government of Pakistan. Imran Khan needs to keep this aspect in mind that Nawaz Sharif enjoys very strong cordial relationships with numerous powerful countries like USA, UK, KSA, UAE, Qatar etc. Such countries have no issue with him.
The British government is not bound to Pakistan at all to consider any such shallow litigation having no relevance to the British government. It’s purely unjust matter of PTI government with whom British government has nothing to do. Shahzad Akbar in his letter has wrongly asked British Home Secretary Priti Patel that she was duty bound to deport Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan. How can he order her?
Government of UK is not bound to obey such orders at all. Following British Laws British Prime Minister even can't order his Home Office for such unlawful acts what to talk about Imran Khan. Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf government should keep this fact in mind that the British government is always run within lawful framework. I have been in United Kingdom so I know that the affairs of British government are run following national and international laws. The British government, has informed Pakistan that it's such request if filed will be casually seen as per routine matter not as a special case. According to Home Department of UK normally an extradition request is officially confirmed when the targeted person is arrested and put in detention while former Premier Nawaz Sharif arrived London in November 2019 on medical grounds on permission of Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal cabinet. The Islamabad High Court has declared the under treatment Nawaz Sharif an absconder for not appearing before the court.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has tasked relevant authorities to bring the PML-N supreme leader back to Pakistan at any cost.
Few years back the same Imran Khan has been running up and down to bring back Supreme leader of MQM Altaf Hussain to Pakistan from London. Imran Khan doesn't know about the British laws. What resulted of his efforts about Altaf Hussain? In Imran Farooq murder case the then Pakistani government asked its British counterpart to extradite MQM leader and founder Altaf Hussain. Altaf Hussain was under investigation of Imran Farooq murder case. Did UK government extradited Altaf Hussain to Pakistan? No not at all. The complaint was lodged with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner about MQM the then head Altaf Hussain who is a UK citizen and lives in London. Altaf Hussain's political legacy in a new shape is presently coalition partner of Imran Khan government. In extradition and deportation matter of Nawaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar, Imran Khan will face the same fate of case of Altaf Hussain. That's it.
The writer is book ambassador, columnist, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad. He can be reached at [email protected]